St John's Chapel Primary School, Bishop Auckland
St John's Chapel Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Bishop Auckland. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. It was 48% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to County Durham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St John's Chapel Primary School in detail
Getting a place at St John's Chapel Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 3 families put St John's Chapel Primary School as their first choice and 4 named it as one of their preferences, for 3 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St John's Chapel Primary School
Who goes there
16.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 3 pupils (12.5%) received SEN support and 2 (8.3%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Staffing
St John's Chapel Primary School had 5 teachers in 2026, one for every 5 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of St John's Chapel Primary School.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is War Memorial (se-bound), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 3 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in County Durham (84).
Suspensions and exclusions
St John's Chapel Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2019 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
16.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
8.0
Avg class size
3.0
Infant (KS1)
14.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby primary school
Keep up with St John's Chapel Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St John's Chapel Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St John's Chapel Primary School is in County Durham; for families living there:
- County Durham's school travel policy: School transport policies and strategies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school travel
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at St John's Chapel Primary School
Will you get a place at St John's Chapel Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St John's Chapel Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St John's Chapel Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St John's Chapel Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from County Durham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St John's Chapel Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in County Durham got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
48%
Available places
27 pupils
56 places
29 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bishop Auckland
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bishop Auckland
Across County Durham council
Places available
6,581
Applications
4,409
Got 1st preference
97.3%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across County Durham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
3
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
20.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
24
Total Pupils
10
Boys
14
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
4.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,293
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£11,141
Per pupil
£336k
Total funding
£9k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
11.1%
Persistent absence
27
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about St John's Chapel Primary School
What is St John's Chapel Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St John's Chapel Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St John's Chapel Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St John's Chapel Primary School is oversubscribed, County Durham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St John's Chapel Primary School?
St John's Chapel Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 48% of its 56 places.
How big are the classes at St John's Chapel Primary School?
Classes at St John's Chapel Primary School average 8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St John's Chapel Primary School?
St John's Chapel Primary School has around 24 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St John's Chapel Primary School?
5.6% of sessions were missed at St John's Chapel Primary School in 2024/25. 11.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St John's Chapel Primary School?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming St John's Chapel Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near St John's Chapel Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St John's Chapel Primary School?
St John's Chapel Primary School is at Burnfoot, St John's Chapel, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL13 1QH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)